Appendix 5
Planning shapes the places where people live and
work and the country we live in. It plays a key role
in supporting the Government’s wider social,
environmental and economic objectives and for
sustainable communities.
Planning
Planning Policy Statement 4:
Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth
5.1)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Contents
Appendix 5
1
Contents
INTRODUCTION
Application of this planning policy statement
What is economic development?
The government’s objectives for prosperous economies
2
2
2
3
USING EVIDENCE
Policy EC1: Using evidence to plan positively
5
5
PLAN MAKING POLICIES
Policy EC2: Planning for sustainable economic growth
Policy EC3: Planning for centres
Policy EC4: Planning for consumer choice and promoting competitive town centres
Policy EC5: Site selection and land assembly for main town centre uses
Policy EC6: Planning for economic development in rural areas
Policy EC7: Planning for tourism in rural areas
Policy EC8: Car parking for non-residential development
7
7
8
10
11
12
13
14
MONITORING
Policy EC9: Monitoring
16
16
DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT POLICIES
Policy EC10: Determining planning applications for economic development
Policy EC11:Determining planning applications for economic development
(other than main town centre uses) not in accordance with an
up to date development plan
Policy EC12:Determining planning applications for economic development in
rural areas
Policy EC13:Determining planning applications affecting shops and services in
local centres and villages
Policy EC14:Supporting evidence for planning applications for main town centre uses
Policy EC15:The consideration of sequential assessments for planning applications
for main town centre uses that are not in a centre and not in
accordance with an up to date development plan
Policy EC16:The impact assessment for planning applications for main town centre
uses that are not in a centre and not in accordance with an up to date
development plan
Policy EC17:The consideration of planning applications for development of main
town centre uses not in a centre and not in an up to date
development plan
Policy EC18: Application of car parking standards for non-residential development
Policy EC19: The effective use of conditions for main town centre uses
17
Annex A: List of cancelled policy and guidance
Annex B: Definitions
Annex C: Compiling the evidence base
Annex D:Town Centre Health Check Indicators
17
17
18
19
19
20
21
22
22
23
24
25
28
31
5.2)
2
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth
Appendix 5
PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE
ECONOMIC GROWTH
INTRODUCTION
Application of this planning policy statement
1.
Planning policy statements (PPS) set out the Government’s national policies on
different aspects of spatial planning in England. This document sets out planning
policies for economic development. These policies complement but do not replace or
override other national planning policies and should be read alongside other relevant
statements of national planning policy1. Guidance to help practitioners implement
this policy is provided in PPS4: Town Centre Practice Guidance.
2.
The plan making policies in this PPS should be taken into account by regional
planning bodies in the preparation of revisions to regional spatial strategies2, by the
Mayor of London in relation to the spatial development strategy for London, and by
local planning authorities in the preparation of local development documents. The
preparation of development plans should not be delayed to take the policies in this
PPS into account.
3.
The policies in this PPS are a material consideration which must be taken into
account in development management decisions, where relevant3. The development
management policies in the PPS can be applied directly by the decision maker when
determining planning applications. It is only necessary for the development plan to
reformulate development management policies in this PPS4 if there are specific
factors justifying variation of these policies.
What is economic development?
4.
For the purposes of the policies in this PPS, economic development includes
development within the B Use Classes5, public and community uses and main town
centre uses. The policies also apply to other development which achieves at least one
of the following objectives:
1
See Annex A for a full list of cancelled policy and guidance.
2
These policies will apply to responsible regional authorities and regional strategies under the Local Democracy, Economic
Development and Construction Act, when implemented.
3
See section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, and policy set out in National Policy Statements
under the Planning Act 2008.
4
See paragraphs 4.31-4.32 of Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Spatial Planning.
5
The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended).
5.3)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth
Appendix 5
3
1. provides employment opportunities
2. generates wealth or
3. produces or generates an economic output or product
5.
These policies do not apply to housing development6.
6.
The policies for economic development in this statement apply to rural areas as they
do to urban areas, subject to the requirements of policy EC6, EC7 and EC10.
7.
The main uses to which the town centre policies in this PPS apply are:
1. retail development (including warehouse clubs and factory outlet centres)
2.leisure, entertainment facilities, and the more intensive sport and recreation uses
(including cinemas, restaurants, drive-through restaurants, bars and pubs, nightclubs, casinos, health and fitness centres, indoor bowling centres, and bingo halls)
3. offices, and
4.arts, culture and tourism development (including theatres, museums, galleries
and concert halls, hotels and conference facilities)
8.
References to town centre(s) or to centre(s) apply to all types of centre defined in
Annex B to this PPS which are identified in development plans. Unless they are
identified as centres in regional spatial strategies or in development plan documents,
existing out-of-centre developments, comprising or including main town centre uses,
do not constitute town centres for the purposes of this statement.
THE GOVERNMENT’S OBJECTIVES FOR PROSPEROUS
ECONOMIES
9.
The Government’s overarching objective is sustainable economic growth7.
10.
To help achieve sustainable economic growth, the Government’s objectives for
planning are to:
• build prosperous communities by improving the economic performance of cities,
towns, regions, sub-regions and local areas, both urban and rural
• reduce the gap in economic growth rates between regions, promoting
regeneration and tackling deprivation
6
See Planning policy statement 3: Housing.
7
Growth that can be sustained and is within environmental limits, but also enhances environmental and social welfare and
avoids greater extremes in future economic cycles.
5.4)
4
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth
•
•
Appendix 5
deliver more sustainable patterns of development, reduce the need to travel,
especially by car and respond to climate change8
promote the vitality and viability of town and other centres as important places
for communities. To do this, the Government wants:
– new economic growth and development of main town centre uses to be
focused in existing centres, with the aim of offering a wide range of services to
communities in an attractive and safe environment and remedying
deficiencies in provision in areas with poor access to facilities
– competition between retailers and enhanced consumer choice through the
provision of innovative and efficient shopping, leisure, tourism and local
services in town centres, which allow genuine choice to meet the needs of the
entire community (particularly socially excluded groups)
•
8
– the historic, archaeological and architectural heritage of centres to be
conserved and, where appropriate, enhanced to provide a sense of place and a
focus for the community and for civic activity
raise the quality of life and the environment in rural areas by promoting thriving,
inclusive and locally distinctive rural communities whilst continuing to protect
the open countryside for the benefit of all
See Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering sustainable development and the supplement to PPS1: Planning and
climate change.
5.5)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Using evidence
Appendix 5
5
USING EVIDENCE
Policy EC1: Using evidence to plan positively
EC1.1
Regional planning bodies and local planning authorities should:
a. work together with county and unitary authorities preparing local economic
assessments9 to prepare and maintain a robust evidence base to understand
both existing business needs and likely changes in the market. Annex C sets out
a range of data that will be relevant to preparation of the evidence base
b. ensure that the volume and detail of the evidence they gather is proportionate
to the importance of the issue
EC1.2 At the regional level, the evidence base should:
a. be based on an understanding of the economic markets operating in and across
the area
b. assess, in broad terms, the overall need for land or floorspace for economic
development including main town centre uses over the plan period. Evidence
on the overall need for main town centre uses should focus on comparison
retail, leisure and office development for five-year periods, having particular
regard to the need for major town centre development of regional or subregional importance and to the capacity and accessibility of centres. When
assessing the need for new office development, take account of forecast future
employment levels and assess the physical capacity of centres to accommodate
regionally significant new office development, reflecting the role of such centres
in the hierarchy
c. identify any deficiencies in the network of higher level centres where a need for
growth has been established
d. identify locations of deprivation to prioritise for remedial action and to address
the drivers of decline within these areas
EC1.3 At the local level, the evidence base should:
a. be informed by regional assessments
b. assess the detailed need for land or floorspace for economic development,
including for all main town centre uses over the plan period
c. identify any deficiencies in the provision of local convenience shopping and
other facilities which serve people’s day-to-day needs
9
Part 4 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.
5.6)
6
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Using evidence
Appendix 5
d. assess the existing and future supply of land available for economic
development, ensuring that existing site allocations for economic development
are reassessed against the policies in this PPS, particularly if they are for single
or restricted uses. Where possible, any reviews of land available for economic
development should be undertaken at the same time as, or combined with,
strategic housing land availability assessments
e. assess the capacity of existing centres to accommodate new town centre
development taking account of the role of centres in the hierarchy and identify
centres in decline where change needs to be managed
EC1.4 When assessing the need for retail and leisure development local planning
authorities should
a. take account of both the quantitative and qualitative need for additional
floorspace for different types of retail and leisure developments.
b. in deprived areas which lack access to a range of services and facilities, give
additional weight to meeting these qualitative deficiencies. However, any
benefits in respect of regeneration and employment should not be taken into
account, although they may be material considerations in the site selection
process
c. when assessing quantitative need, have regard to relevant market information
and economic data, including a realistic assessment of:
i. existing and forecast population levels
ii. forecast expenditure for specific classes of goods to be sold, within the broad
categories of comparison and convenience goods and for main leisure
sectors and
iii. forecast improvements in retail sales density
d. when assessing qualitative need for retail and leisure uses:
i. assess whether there is provision and distribution of shopping, leisure and
local services, which allow genuine choice to meet the needs of the whole
community, particularly those living in deprived areas, in light of the
objective to promote the vitality and viability of town centres and the
application of the sequential approach
ii. take into account the degree to which shops may be overtrading and whether
there is a need to increase competition and retail mix
5.7)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Plan making policies
Appendix 5
7
PLAN MAKING POLICIES
Policy EC2: Planning for SUSTAINABLE
economic GROWTH
EC2.1 Regional planning bodies and local planning authorities should ensure that their
development plan:
a. sets out a clear economic vision and strategy for their area which positively and
proactively encourages sustainable economic growth identifying priority areas
with high levels of deprivation that should be prioritised for regeneration
investment, having regard to the character of the area and the need for a high
quality environment
b. supports existing business sectors, taking account of whether they are
expanding or contracting and, where possible, identifies and plans for new or
emerging sectors likely to locate in their area, such as those producing low
carbon goods or services. However, policies should be flexible enough to
accommodate sectors not anticipated in the plan and allow a quick response to
changes in economic circumstances
c. positively plans for the location, promotion and expansion of clusters or
networks of knowledge driven or high technology industries. The regional level
should set criteria for, or identify the general locations of strategic sites,
ensuring that major greenfield sites are not released unnecessarily through
competition between local authority areas
d. seeks to make the most efficient and effective use of land, prioritising previously
developed land which is suitable for re-use and, subject to the specific policy
requirements of this PPS for town centres, reflects the different location
requirements of businesses, such as the size of site required, site quality, access
and proximity to markets, as well as the locally available workforce
e. identifies, protects and promotes key distribution networks, and locates or
co-locates developments which generate substantial transport movements in
locations that are accessible (including by rail and water transport where
feasible), avoiding congestion and preserving local amenity as far as possible
f. plans for the delivery of the sustainable transport and other infrastructure
needed to support their planned economic development and, where necessary,
provides advice on phasing and programming of development
g. at the regional level, disaggregates minimum job targets to local authority level
h. at the local level, where necessary to safeguard land from other uses, identifies a
range of sites, to facilitate a broad range of economic development, including
mixed use. Existing site allocations should not be carried forward from one
version of the development plan to the next without evidence of the need and
5.8)
8
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Plan making policies
Appendix 5
reasonable prospect of their take up during the plan period. If there is no
reasonable prospect of a site being used for the allocated economic use, the
allocation should not be retained, and wider economic uses or alternative uses
should be considered
i. at the local level, encourages new uses for vacant or derelict buildings, including
historic buildings10
j. At the local level, considers how sites for different business types can be
delivered, including by the use of compulsory purchase to assemble sites and
other planning tools including area action plans, simplified planning zones and
local development orders
k. facilitates new working practices such as live/work
Policy EC3: Planning for centres
EC3.1 Regional planning bodies and local planning authorities should, as part of their
economic vision for their area, set out a strategy for the management and growth
of centres over the plan period. Regional planning bodies should focus on higher
level centres (those of more than local importance) in the region to provide a
strategic framework for planning for centres at the local level. As part of their
strategy regional planning bodies and local planning authorities should:
a. set flexible policies for their centres which are able to respond to changing
economic circumstances and encourage, where appropriate, high-density
development accessible by public transport, walking and cycling
b. define a network (the pattern of provision of centres) and hierarchy (the role
and relationship of centres in the network) of centres that is resilient to
anticipated future economic changes, to meet the needs of their catchments
having:
i. made choices about which centres will accommodate any identified need for
growth in town centre uses, considering their expansion where necessary,
taking into account the need to avoid an over concentration of growth in
centres. Identified deficiencies in the network of centres should be addressed
by promoting centres to function at a higher level in the hierarchy or
designating new centres where necessary, giving priority to deprived areas
which are experiencing significant levels of ‘multiple deprivation’11 where
10
See Heritage Works: The Use of Historic Buildings in Regeneration (English Heritage, RICS and BPF, 2005) and
Regeneration and the Historic Environment: Heritage as a Catalyst for Better Social and Economic Regeneration (English
Heritage, 2005).
11
Typically those within the most deprived 10% of ‘super output areas’ as identified in the English Indices of Deprivation
and defined by the Index of Multiple Deprivations (IMD).
5.9)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Plan making policies
Appendix 5
9
there is a need for better access to services, facilities and employment by
socially excluded groups
ii. ensured any extensions to centres are carefully integrated with the existing
centre in terms of design including the need to allow easy pedestrian access
iii. where existing centres are in decline, considered the scope for consolidating
and strengthening these centres by seeking to focus a wider range of services
there, promoting the diversification of uses and improving the environment
iv. where reversing decline in existing centres is not possible, considered
reclassifying the centre at a lower level within the hierarchy of centres,
reflecting this revised status in the policies applied to the area. This may
include allowing retail units to change to other uses, whilst aiming, wherever
possible, to retain opportunities for vital local services
v. ensured that the need for any new, expanded or redeveloped out-of-centre
regional or sub-regional shopping centre or any significant change in the
role and function of centres is considered through the regional spatial
strategy.
c. at the local level, define the extent of the centre and the primary shopping area
in their Adopted Proposals Map having considered distinguishing between
realistically defined primary and secondary frontages in designated centres and
set policies that make clear which uses will be permitted in such locations
d. at the local level, consider setting floorspace thresholds for the scale of edge-ofcentre and out-of-centre development which should be subject to an impact
assessment under (EC16.1) and specify the geographic areas these thresholds
will apply to
e. define any locally important impacts on centres which should be tested (see
policy EC16.1.f)
f. at the local level, encourage residential or office development above ground
floor retail, leisure or other facilities within centres, ensuring that housing in
out-of-centre mixed-use developments is not, in itself, used as a reason to justify
additional floorspace for main town centre uses in such locations
g. at the local level, identify sites or buildings within existing centres suitable for
development, conversion or change of use
h. at the local level, use tools such as local development orders, area action plans,
compulsory purchase orders and town centre strategies to address the transport,
land assembly, crime prevention, planning and design issues associated with the
growth and management of their centres
5.10)
10
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Plan making policies
Appendix 5
Policy EC4: Planning for consumer choice and
promoting competitive town centres
EC4.1 Local planning authorities should proactively plan to promote competitive town
centre environments and provide consumer choice by:
a. supporting a diverse range of uses which appeal to a wide range of age and
social groups, ensuring that these are distributed throughout the centre
b. planning for a strong retail mix so that the range and quality of the comparison
and convenience retail offer meets the requirements of the local catchment area,
recognising that smaller shops can significantly enhance the character and
vibrancy of a centre
c. supporting shops, services and other important small scale economic uses
(including post offices, petrol stations, village halls and public houses) in local
centres and villages.
d. identifying sites in the centre, or failing that on the edge of the centre, capable
of accommodating larger format developments where a need for such
development has been identified
e. retaining and enhancing existing markets and, where appropriate,
re-introducing or creating new ones, ensuring that markets remain attractive
and competitive by investing in their improvement
f. taking measures to conserve and, where appropriate, enhance the established
character and diversity of their town centres
EC4.2 Local planning authorities should manage the evening and night-time economy in
centres, taking account of and complementing the local authority’s Statement of
Licensing Policy and the promotion of the licensing objectives under the Licensing
Act 2003. Policies should:
a. encourage a diverse range of complementary evening and night-time uses
which appeal to a wide range of age and social groups, making provision, where
appropriate, for leisure, cultural and tourism activities such as cinemas, theatres,
restaurants, public houses, bars, nightclubs and cafes, and
b. set out the number and scale of leisure developments they wish to encourage
taking account of their potential impact, including the cumulative impact, on
the character and function of the centre, anti-social behaviour and crime,
including considering security issues raised by crowded places, and the
amenities of nearby residents
5.11)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Plan making policies
Appendix 5
11
Policy EC5: Site selection and land assembly for
main town centre uses
EC5.1 Local planning authorities should identify an appropriate range of sites to
accommodate the identified need, ensuring that sites are capable of
accommodating a range of business models in terms of scale, format, car parking
provision and scope for disaggregation. An apparent lack of sites of the right size
and in the right location should not be a reason for local planning authorities to
avoid planning to meet the identified need for development. Local planning
authorities should:
a. base their approach on the identified need for development
b. identify the appropriate scale of development, ensuring that the scale of the sites
identified and the level of travel they generate, are in keeping with the role and
function of the centre within the hierarchy of centres and the catchment served
c. apply the sequential approach to site selection (see policy EC5.2)
d. assess the impact of sites on existing centres (see policy EC5.4).
e. consider the degree to which other considerations such as any physical
regeneration benefits of developing on previously-developed sites, employment
opportunities, increased investment in an area or social inclusion, may be
material to the choice of appropriate locations for development
EC5.2 Sites for main town centre uses should be identified through a sequential approach
to site selection. Under the sequential approach, local planning authorities should
identify sites that are suitable, available and viable in the following order:
a. locations in appropriate existing centres where sites or buildings for conversion
are, or are likely to become, available within the plan period
b. edge-of-centre locations, with preference given to sites that are or will be wellconnected to the centre
c. out-of-centre sites, with preference given to sites which are or will be well served
by a choice of means of transport and which are closest to the centre and have a
higher likelihood of forming links with the centre
EC5.3 Sites that best serve the needs of deprived areas should be given preference when
considered against alternative sites with similar location characteristics
5.12)
12
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Plan making policies
Appendix 5
EC5.4 In assessing the impact of proposed locations for development under EC5.1.d, local
planning authorities should:
a. take into account the impact considerations set out in Policy EC16, particularly
for developments over 2,500 sqm or any locally set threshold under EC3.1.d,
ensuring that any proposed edge of centre or out of centre sites would not have
an unacceptable impact on centres within the catchment of the potential
development
b. ensure that proposed sites in a centre, which would substantially increase the
attraction of that centre and could have an impact on other centres, are assessed
for their impact on those other centres, and
c. ensure that the level of detail of any assessment of impacts is proportionate to
the scale, nature and detail of the proposed development
EC5.5 Having identified sites for development, local planning authorities should allocate
sufficient sites in development plan documents to meet at least the first five years
identified need. Where appropriate, local development frameworks should set out
policies for the phasing and release of allocated sites to ensure that those sites in
preferred locations within centres are developed ahead of less central locations.
EC5.6 Local authorities should make full use of planning tools to facilitate development,
including compulsory purchase orders and other planning tools including area
action plans, simplified planning zones and local development orders
Policy EC6: Planning for economic development
in rural areas
EC6.1 Local planning authorities should ensure that the countryside is protected for the
sake of its intrinsic character and beauty, the diversity of its landscapes, heritage
and wildlife, the wealth of its natural resources and to ensure it may be enjoyed
by all.
EC6.2 In rural areas, local planning authorities should:
a. strictly control economic development in open countryside away from existing
settlements, or outside areas allocated for development in development plans
b. identify local service centres (which might be a country town, a single large
village or a group of villages) and locate most new development in or on the
edge of existing settlements where employment, housing (including affordable
housing), services and other facilities can be provided close together
5.13)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Plan making policies
Appendix 5
13
c. support the conversion and re-use of appropriately located and suitably
constructed existing buildings in the countryside (particularly those adjacent or
closely related to towns or villages) for economic development
d. set out the permissible scale of replacement buildings and circumstances where
replacement of buildings would not be acceptable
e. seek to remedy any identified deficiencies in local shopping and other facilities
to serve people’s day-to-day needs and help address social exclusion
f. set out the criteria to be applied to planning applications for farm
diversification, and support diversification for business purposes that are
consistent in their scale and environmental impact with their rural location
g. where appropriate, support equine enterprises, providing for a range of suitably
located recreational and leisure facilities and the needs of training and breeding
businesses that maintain environmental quality and countryside character.
Policy EC7: Planning for tourism in rural areas
EC7.1
To help deliver the Government’s tourism strategy12, local planning authorities
should support sustainable rural tourism and leisure developments that benefit
rural businesses, communities and visitors and which utilise and enrich, rather
than harm, the character of the countryside, its towns, villages, buildings and other
features. Local planning authorities should, through their local development
frameworks:
a. support the provision and expansion of tourist and visitor facilities in
appropriate locations where identified needs are not met by existing facilities in
rural service centres, carefully weighing the objective of providing adequate
facilities or enhancing visitors’ enjoyment or improving the financial viability of
the facility with the need to protect landscapes and environmentally sensitive
sites, and
b. wherever possible, locate tourist and visitor facilities in existing or replacement
buildings, particularly where they are located outside existing settlements.
Facilities requiring new buildings in the countryside should, where possible, be
provided in, or close to, service centres or villages but may be justified in other
locations where the required facilities are required in conjunction with a
particular countryside attraction and there are no suitable existing buildings or
developed sites available for re-use
12
Winning: a Tourism Strategy for 2012 and Beyond, Department for Culture, Media and Sport strategy document.
5.14)
14
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Plan making policies
Appendix 5
c. support extensions to existing tourist accommodation where the scale of the
extension is appropriate to its location and where the extension may help to
ensure the future viability of such businesses
d. ensure that new or expanded holiday and touring caravan sites and chalet
developments are not prominent in the landscape and that any visual intrusion
is minimised by effective, high-quality screening and examine the scope for
relocating any existing, visually or environmentally-intrusive sites away from
sensitive areas or from sites prone to flooding or coastal erosion
e. recognise that in areas statutorily designated for their natural or cultural
heritage qualities, there will be scope for tourist and leisure related
developments, subject to appropriate control over their number, form and
location to ensure the particular qualities or features that justified the
designation are conserved
Policy EC8: Car parking for non-residential
development
EC8.1 Local planning authorities should, through their local development frameworks,
set maximum parking standards for non-residential development in their area,
ensuring alignment with the policies in the relevant local transport plan and, where
relevant, the regional strategy. Local planning authorities should not set minimum
parking standards for development, other than for parking for disabled people.
EC8.2 In setting their maximum standards, local planning authorities should take into
account:
a. the need to encourage access to development for those without use of a car and
promote sustainable transport choices, including cycling and walking
b. the need to reduce carbon emissions13
c. current, and likely future, levels of public transport accessibility
d. the need to reduce the amount of land needed for development
e. the need to tackle congestion
f. the need to work towards the attainment of air quality objectives
g. the need to enable schemes to fit into central urban sites and promote
linked trips
13
See climate change supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development.
5.15)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Plan making policies
Appendix 5
15
h. the need to make provision for adequate levels of good quality secure parking in
town centres to encourage investment and maintain their vitality and viability
i. the need to encourage the shared use of parking, particularly in town centres
and as part of major developments
j. the need to provide for appropriate disabled parking and access
k. the needs of different business sizes and types and major employers,
l. the differing needs of rural and urban areas
5.16)
16
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Monitoring
Appendix 5
MONITORING
Policy EC9: Monitoring
EC9.1 Regional planning bodies and local planning authorities should use their annual
monitoring reports to keep the following matters under review in order to inform
consideration of the impact of policies and planning applications:
a. the network and hierarchy of centres (at both the regional and local levels)
b. the need for further development and
c. the vitality and viability of centres (at the local level)
EC9.2 To measure the vitality and viability and monitor the health of their town centres
over time and inform judgements about the impact of policies and development,
local authorities should also regularly collect market information and economic
data, preferably in co-operation with the private sector, on the key indicators set
out at Annex D to this planning policy statement.
5.17)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Development management policies
Appendix 5
17
DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT POLICIES
Policy EC10: Determining planning applications
for economic development
EC10.1 Local planning authorities should adopt a positive and constructive approach
towards planning applications for economic development. Planning applications
that secure sustainable economic growth should be treated favourably.
EC10.2 All planning applications for economic development should be assessed against the
following impact considerations:
a. whether the proposal has been planned over the lifetime of the development to
limit carbon dioxide emissions, and minimise vulnerability and provide
resilience to, climate change14
b. the accessibility of the proposal by a choice of means of transport including
walking, cycling, public transport and the car, the effect on local traffic levels
and congestion (especially to the trunk road network) after public transport
and traffic management measures have been secured15
c. whether the proposal secures a high quality and inclusive design which takes the
opportunities available for improving the character and quality of the area and
the way it functions
d. the impact on economic and physical regeneration in the area including the
impact on deprived areas and social inclusion objectives
e. the impact on local employment
Policy EC11: Determining planning applications
for economic development (other than main
town centre uses) not in accordance with an
up to date development plan
EC11.1 In determining planning applications for economic development other than for
main town centre uses which are not in accordance with the development plan,
local planning authorities should:
a. weigh market and other economic information alongside environmental and
social information
b. take full account of any longer term benefits, as well as the costs, of
development, such as job creation or improved productivity including any
wider benefits to national, regional or local economies; and
c. consider whether those proposals help to meet the wider objectives of the
development plan
14
See Paragraph 9 and 42 of Planning and Climate Change: Supplement to Planning Policy Statement 1 (CLG, 2007).
15
Advice on assessing transport impacts is set out in Guidance on Transport Assessments (DfT and CLG, 2007).
5.18)
18
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Development management policies
Appendix 5
Policy EC12: Determining planning applications
for economic development in rural areas
EC12.1 Re-use of buildings in the countryside for economic development purposes will
usually be preferable, but residential conversions may be more appropriate in some
locations and for some types of building. In determining planning applications for
economic development in rural areas, local planning authorities should:
a. support development which enhances the vitality and viability of market towns
and other rural service centres
b. support small-scale economic development where it provides the most
sustainable option in villages, or other locations, that are remote from local
service centres, recognising that a site may be an acceptable location for
development even though it may not be readily accessible by public transport
c. take account of the impact on the supply of employment sites and premises and
the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the area, when
considering planning applications involving the loss of economic activity.
d. approve planning applications for the conversion and re-use of existing
buildings in the countryside for economic development, particularly those
adjacent or closely related to towns or villages, where the benefits outweigh the
harm in terms of:
i. the potential impact on the countryside, landscapes and wildlife
ii. local economic and social needs and opportunities
iii. settlement patterns and the level of accessibility to service centres, markets
and housing
iv. the need to conserve, or the desirability of conserving, heritage assets and
v. the suitability of the building(s), and of different scales, for re-use
recognising that replacement of buildings should be favoured where this
would result in a more acceptable and sustainable development than might
be achieved through conversion
5.19)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Development management policies
Appendix 5
19
Policy EC13: Determining planning applications
affecting shops and services in local centres
and villages
EC13.1 When assessing planning applications affecting shops, leisure uses including public
houses or services in local centres and villages, local planning authorities should:
a. take into account the importance of the shop, leisure facility or service to the
local community or the economic base of the area if the proposal would result
in its loss or change of use
b. refuse planning applications which fail to protect existing facilities which
provide for people’s day-to-day needs
c. respond positively to planning applications for the conversion or extension of
shops which are designed to improve their viability
d. respond positively to planning applications for farm shops which meet a
demand for local produce in a sustainable way and contribute to the rural
economy, as long as they do not adversely affect easily accessible convenience
shopping
Policy EC14: Supporting evidence for planning
applications for main town centre uses
EC14.1 References in this policy to planning applications for main town centre uses
include any applications which create additional floorspace, including applications
for internal alterations where planning permission is required, and applications to
vary or remove conditions changing the range of goods sold.
EC14.2 The town centre policies in this PPS apply to planning applications for the above
uses unless they are ancillary to other uses. Where office development is ancillary
to other forms of economic development not located in the town centre there
should be no requirement for such offices to be located in the town centre.
EC14.3 A sequential assessment (under EC15) is required for planning applications for
main town centres uses that are not in an existing centre and are not in accordance
with an up to date development plan. This requirement applies to extensions to
retail or leisure uses only where the gross floor space of the proposed extension
exceeds 200 square metres.
EC14.4 An assessment addressing the impacts in policy EC16.1 is required for planning
applications for retail and leisure developments over 2,500 square metres gross
floorspace or any local floorspace threshold set under policy EC3.1.d not in an
existing centre and not in accordance with an up to date development plan.
5.20)
20
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Development management policies
Appendix 5
EC14.5 In advance of development plans being revised to reflect this PPS, an assessment of
impacts in policy EC16.1 is necessary for planning applications for retail and
leisure developments below 2,500 square metres which are not in an existing centre
and not in accordance with an up to date development plan that would be likely to
have a significant impact on other centres.
EC14.6 An impact assessment dealing with the impacts set out in policy EC16.1 is also
required for planning applications in an existing centre which are not in
accordance with the development plan and which would substantially increase the
attraction of the centre to an extent that the development could have an impact on
other centres.
EC14.7 Assessments of impacts should focus in particular on the first 5 years after the
implementation of a proposal and the level of detail and type of evidence and
analysis required in impact assessments should be proportionate to the scale and
nature of the proposal and its likely impact. Any assumptions should be
transparent and clearly justified, realistic and internally consistent.
EC14.8 Local planning authorities should respond positively to approaches from applicants
to discuss their proposals before a planning application is submitted and seek to
agree the type and level of information that needs to be included within an impact
assessment.
Policy EC15: The consideration of sequential
assessments for planning applications for main
town centre uses that are not in a centre and
not in accordance with an up to date
development plan
EC15.1 In considering sequential assessments required under policy EC14.3, local planning
authorities should:
a. ensure that sites are assessed for their availability, suitability and viability.
b. ensure that all in-centre options have been thoroughly assessed before less
central sites are considered
c. ensure that where it has been demonstrated that there are no town centre sites
to accommodate a proposed development, preference is given to edge of centre
locations which are well connected to the centre by means of easy pedestrian
access
d. ensure that in considering sites in or on the edge of existing centres, developers
and operators have demonstrated flexibility in terms of:
i. scale: reducing the floorspace of their development;
5.21)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Development management policies
Appendix 5
21
ii. format: more innovative site layouts and store configurations such as multistorey developments with smaller footprints;
iii. car parking provision; reduced or reconfigured car parking areas; and
iv. the scope for disaggregating specific parts of a retail or leisure development,
including those which are part of a group of retail or leisure units, onto
separate, sequentially preferable, sites. However, local planning authorities
should not seek arbitrary sub-division of proposals
EC15.2 In considering whether flexibility has been demonstrated under policy EC15.1.d
above, local planning authorities should take into account any genuine difficulties
which the applicant can demonstrate are likely to occur in operating the proposed
business model from a sequentially preferable site, for example where a retailer
would be limited to selling a significantly reduced range of products. However,
evidence which claims that the class of goods proposed to be sold cannot be sold
from the town centre should not be accepted.
Policy EC16: The impact assessment for planning
applications for main town centre uses that are
not in a centre and not in accordance with an
up to date development plan
EC16.1 Planning applications for main town centres uses that are not in a centre (unless
EC16.1.e applies) and not in accordance with an up to date development plan
should be assessed against the following impacts on centres:
a. the impact of the proposal on existing, committed and planned public and
private investment in a centre or centres in the catchment area of the proposal
b. the impact of the proposal on town centre vitality and viability, including local
consumer choice and the range and quality of the comparison and convenience
retail offer
c. the impact of the proposal on allocated sites outside town centres being
developed in accordance with the development plan
d. in the context of a retail or leisure proposal, the impact of the proposal on
in-centre trade/turnover and on trade in the wider area, taking account of
current and future consumer expenditure capacity in the catchment area up to
five years from the time the application is made, and, where applicable, on the
rural economy
e. if located in or on the edge of a town centre, whether the proposal is of an
appropriate scale (in terms of gross floorspace) in relation to the size of the
centre and its role in the hierarchy of centres
f. any locally important impacts on centres under policy EC3.1.e
5.22)
22
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Development management policies
Appendix 5
Policy EC17: The consideration of planning
applications for development of main town
centre uses not in a centre and not in accordance
with an up to date development plan.
EC17.1 Planning applications for main town centre uses that are not in an existing centre
and not in accordance with an up to date development plan should be refused
planning permission where:
a. the applicant has not demonstrated compliance with the requirements the
sequential approach (policy EC15); or
b. there is clear evidence that the proposal is likely to lead to significant adverse
impacts in terms of any one of impacts set out in policies EC10.2 and 16.1 (the
impact assessment), taking account of the likely cumulative effect of recent
permissions, developments under construction and completed developments
EC17.2 Where no significant adverse impacts have been identified under policies EC10.2
and 16.1, planning applications should be determined by taking account of:
a. the positive and negative impacts of the proposal in terms of policies EC10.2
and 16.1 and any other material considerations; and
b. the likely cumulative effect of recent permissions, developments under
construction and completed developments
EC17.3 Judgements about the extent and significance of any impacts should be informed
by the development plan (where this is up to date). Recent local assessments of the
health of town centres which take account of the vitality and viability indicators in
Annex D of this policy statement and any other published local information (such
as a town centre or retail strategy), will also be relevant.
Policy EC18: Application of car parking standards
for non-residential development
EC18.1 Local parking standards should apply to individual planning applications unless:
a. the applicant has demonstrated (where appropriate through a transport
assessment) that a higher level of parking provision is needed and shown the
measures proposed to be taken (for instance in the design, location and
operation of the scheme) to minimise the need for parking.
5.23)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Development management policies
Appendix 5
23
b. for retail and leisure developments located in a town centre, or on an edge of
centre site, the local planning authority is satisfied that:
i. the parking provision is consistent with any town centre parking strategy
and the facilities will genuinely serve the town centre as a whole and this has
been secured before planning permission is granted
ii. the scale of parking is proportionate to the size of the centre
EC18.2 In the absence of local parking standards, the maximum standards set out in
Annex D of Planning Policy Guidance Note 13: Transport will apply (subject to the
provisions in Policy EC18.1).
Policy EC19: The effective use of conditions for
main town centre uses
EC19.1 Local planning authorities should make effective use of planning conditions to
implement their policies and proactively manage the impacts of development by
imposing planning conditions to:
a. prevent developments from being sub-divided into a number of smaller shops
or units, or to secure the provision of units suitable for smaller business, by
specifying the maximum size of units
b. ensure that ancillary elements remain ancillary to the main development
c. limit any internal alterations to increase the amount of gross floorspace by
specifying the maximum floorspace permitted
d. limit the range of goods sold, and to control the mix of convenience and
comparison goods and
e. resolve issues relating to the impact of the development on traffic and the
amenity of neighbouring residents, such as the timing of the delivery of goods
to shops and the adequate provision for loading and unloading
EC19.2 In considering restrictions on deliveries, local authorities should take account of all
relevant factors, including impact on congestion, especially in peak periods. In
considering how to mitigate night-time noise, local authorities should consider
alternatives to a complete ban, such as embodying codes of practice into planning
obligations relating to the number of vehicles and noise standards.
5.24)
24
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | ANNEX A: List of cancelled policy and guidance
Appendix 5
ANNEX A: List of cancelled policy and guidance
•
•
•
•
•
Planning Policy Guidance Note 4: Industrial, commercial development and small
firms (PPG4, 1992)
Planning Policy Guidance Note 5: Simplified Planning Zones (PPG5, 1992) will be
reissued as practice guidance
Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for town centres (PPS6, 2005)
Objectives (i-iii) and paragraphs 1 (ii-iv), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 16 (i-ii), 17, 18, 19, 30
(i-ii), 32, 34 (i-ii), 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 of Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable
development in rural areas (PPS7)
Paragraphs 53, 54 and Annex D of Planning Policy Guidance Note 13: Transport
(remain extant until individual local planning authorities prepare local
maximum parking standards in line with policy EC8 of this PPS)
5.25)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | ANNEX B: Definitions
Appendix 5
25
ANNEX B: Definitions
City centres are the highest level of centre identified in development plans. In
terms of hierarchies, they will often be a regional centre and will serve a wide
catchment. The centre may be very large, embracing a wide range of activities and
may be distinguished by areas which may perform different main functions.
Planning for the future of such areas can be achieved successfully through the use
of area action plans, with masterplans or development briefs for particular sites. In
London the ‘international’ and ‘metropolitan’ centres identified in the Mayor’s
Spatial Development Strategy typically perform the role of city centres.
Town centres will usually be the second level of centres after city centres and, in
many cases, they will be the principal centre or centres in a local authority’s area.
In rural areas they are likely to be market towns and other centres of similar size
and role which function as important service centres, providing a range of facilities
and services for extensive rural catchment areas. In planning the future of town
centres, local planning authorities should consider the function of different parts
of the centre and how these contribute to its overall vitality and viability. In
London the ‘major’ and many of the ‘district’ centres identified in the Mayor’s
Spatial Development Strategy typically perform the role of town centres.
District centres will usually comprise groups of shops often containing at least one
supermarket or superstore, and a range of non-retail services, such as banks,
building societies and restaurants, as well as local public facilities such as a library.
Local centres include a range of small shops of a local nature, serving a small
catchment. Typically, local centres might include, amongst other shops, a small
supermarket, a newsagent, a sub-post office and a pharmacy. Other facilities could
include a hot-food takeaway and launderette. In rural areas, large villages may
perform the role of a local centre.
Small parades of shops of purely neighbourhood significance are not regarded as
centres for the purposes of this policy statement.
Types of Location
TOWN CENTRE
Defined area, including the primary shopping area and areas of predominantly
leisure, business and other main town centre uses within or adjacent to the
primary shopping area. The extent of the town centre should be defined on the
proposals map.
5.26)
26
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | ANNEX B: Definitions
Appendix 5
PRIMARY SHOPPING AREA
Defined area where retail development is concentrated (generally comprising the
primary and those secondary frontages which are contiguous and closely related to
the primary shopping frontage). The extent of the primary shopping area should
be defined on the proposals map. Smaller centres may not have areas of
predominantly leisure, business and other main town centre uses adjacent to the
primary shopping area, therefore the town centre may not extend beyond the
primary shopping area.
PRIMARY FRONTAGE
Primary frontages are likely to include a high proportion of retail uses.
SECONDARY FRONTAGE
Secondary frontages provide greater opportunities for a diversity of uses.
EDGE-OF-CENTRE
For retail purposes, a location that is well connected to and within easy walking
distance (ie. up to 300 metres) of the primary shopping area. For all other main
town centre uses, this is likely to be within 300 metres of a town centre boundary16.
In determining whether a site falls within the definition of edge-of-centre, account
should be taken of local circumstances. For example, local topography will affect
pedestrians’ perceptions of easy walking distance from the centre. Other
considerations include barriers, such as crossing major roads and car parks, the
attractiveness and perceived safety of the route and the strength of attraction and
size of the town centre. A site will not be well connected to a centre where it is
physically separated from it by a barrier such as a major road, railway line or river
and there is no existing or proposed pedestrian route which provides safe and
convenient access to the centre.
OUT-OF-CENTRE
A location which is not in or on the edge of a centre but not necessarily outside the
urban area.
OUT-OF-TOWN
16
An out-of-centre development outside the existing urban area.
For office development, locations outside the town centre but within 500 metres of a public transport interchange,
including railway and bus stations, within the urban area should be considered as edge-of-centre locations for purposes of
the sequential approach.
5.27)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | ANNEX B: Definitions
Appendix 5
27
Descriptions of types of development
RETAIL
Convenience shopping: Convenience retailing is the provision of everyday essential
items, including food, drinks, newspapers/magazines and confectionery.
Supermarkets: Self-service stores selling mainly food, with a trading floorspace less
than 2,500 square metres, often with car parking.
Superstores: Self-service stores selling mainly food, or food and non-food goods,
usually with more than 2,500 square metres trading floorspace, with supporting
car parking.
Comparison shopping: Comparison retailing is the provision of items not
obtained on a frequent basis. These include clothing, footwear, household and
recreational goods.
Retail warehouses: Large stores specialising in the sale of household goods (such
as carpets, furniture and electrical goods), DIY items and other ranges of goods,
catering mainly for car-borne customers.
Retail parks: An agglomeration of at least three retail warehouses.
Warehouse clubs: Large businesses specialising in volume sales of reduced
priced goods.
The operator may limit access to businesses, organisations or classes of individual.
Factory outlet centres: Groups of shops specialising in selling seconds and end-ofline goods at discounted prices.
Regional and sub-regional shopping centres: Out-of-centre shopping centres
which are generally over 50,000 square metres gross retail area, typically comprising
a wide variety of comparison goods stores.
LEISURE
Leisure parks: Leisure parks often feature a mix of leisure facilities, such as a
multiscreen cinema, indoor bowling centres, night club, restaurants, bars and
fast-food outlets, with car parking.
BUSINESS
Business parks: A grouping of purpose-built office accommodation and other
business uses with some shared facilities and car parking.
5.28)
28
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | ANNEX C: Data sources
Appendix 5
ANNEX C: Compiling the evidence base
This annex sets out a range of economic and social information which can be used in
establishing a robust evidence base for development plans and development
management, and as the basis for prediction of the effects of the plan in the
sustainability appraisal.
Details of main sources of information are given at the end.
Workforce and employment:
• employment by sector: gives background on economic structure and the relative
importance of different sectors (Office for National Statistics Annual Business
Inquiry)
• occupations: percentages of the population of a specific area or region employed
in different jobs (ONS Annual Population Survey)
• unemployment: gives background on the scope for economic development
opportunities. It needs to be understood in the context of the qualification and
skills of a potential workforce (ONS)
• worklessness: a wider definition that uses benefit claimants data, including
Jobseekers’ Allowance, Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disability Allowance (DWP
Working Age Client Group)
• earnings: can give an insight into the appropriate scale and type of economic
development in an area, on a regional and county/unitary authority basis (ONS
Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Annual Business Inquiry)
• changes in employment patterns: can give an insight into the growth or decline
of different sectors for regional employment (ONS Annual Business Inquiry)
• economic activity rate: this shows the percentage of the population that is either
in work or looking for work and can be used to help understand the potential
workforce for new business development (ONS Annual Population Survey)
Business activity and performance:
• business size: the number of different business sizes can also inform an
understanding of the importance of different industries to a region. Detailed
yearly data is available on the number of different businesses in different
employment size bands for broad categories (ONS Annual Business Inquiry)
• VAT registrations/de-registrations: gives an indication of entrepreneurship over
time and business failure. It is available on a regional and a county/unitary
authority basis and can be compared against stocks of registrations from the
same source (ONS Inter-Departmental Business Register)
• gross value added (GVA): this measures the difference between the value of the
output businesses and the value of their inputs and is available for NUTS1,
NUTS2 and NUTS3 geographic areas17 (ONS Regional Accounts)
17
NUTS: Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics (EU classification – see ONS website)
5.29)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | ANNEX C: Data sources
Appendix 5
29
Land and property markets:
• unimplemented planning permissions: data held by local planning authorities
• existing floorspace: data on floorspace currently available can provide an insight
into how much spare capacity exists for businesses (Valuation Office Agency)
Social context
• resident populations of authority areas (Census; ONS Nomis)
• percentages of population with different levels of qualifications (Census; ONS
Annual Population Survey)
• Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2004 and 2007; Economic Deprivation Index
giving Lower Super Output Area data from 1999-2005 (CLG)
• housing affordability: CLG data relates lower quartile house prices to lower
quartile earning by district, giving an indication of housing need See also CLG
publication “Measuring Housing Affordability: Review of Data Sources”.
• travel to work: information on methods of commuting and catchment areas can
help to inform infrastructure issues. ONS used 2001 census data to produce
travel to work areas which form relatively self- contained labour markets
(Census; ONS CommuterView and Travel to Work Areas)
Survey data
In conjunction with more regional information, up to date local survey data can
identify economic and property challenges to be considered in plan making, review
and development control decisions. Examples include:
• floorspace availability by rent and size
• rents by grade
• office land values
• construction rates
• trends and demand
• stock condition
• likely future changes to stock
• known infrastructure issues
• marketability of sites
5.30)
30
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | ANNEX C: Data sources
Appendix 5
Forecasts and projections
Forecasts and projections may also be useful to inform the review of planning
strategies at regional and sub-regional level:
• demographic (population and household numbers – ONS and CLG).
• economic (GVA). This measures the difference between the value of the output
businesses and the value of their inputs and is available for NUTS1, NUTS2 and
NUTS3 geographic level.
• spatial implications of forecasts and projections (modelling based upon sectional
and spatial implications of economic change)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Office of National Statistics (ONS)
ONS homepage: www.statistics.gov.uk
ONS Nomis (labour market and related population data for local areas):
https://www.nomisweb.co.uk
ONS Annual Business Inquiry (ABI – employment and financial information):
www.statistics.gov.uk/abi (access requires authorisation from ONS)
ONS Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR): http://www.statistics.gov.uk/idbr
ONS Neighbourhood Statistics: http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk
ONS Regional Accounts (information including regional, NUTS2 and NUTS3 GVA
and regional household income estimates):
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=7359
ONS travel to work data:
http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/CommuterView.
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/geography/ttwa
Communities and Local Government (CLG):
CLG homepage: www.communities.gov.uk
Data for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration (includes links to local information
systems and data at district level and below): http://www.data4nr.net
Economic Deprivation Index:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/
trackingneighbourhoods2008
5.31)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | ANNEX C: Data sources
Appendix 5
31
Index of Multiple Deprivation:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/communities/neighbourhoodrenewal/deprivation/
deprivation
Household projections (based on ONS population projections):
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/
housingstatisticsby/householdestimates/livetables-households/
Housing affordability:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/
housingstatisticsby/housingmarket/livetables/affordabilitytables/
The Places Database:
http://www.places.communities.gov.uk
The Places Analysis Tool:
http://www.pat.communities.gov.uk/pat
Department for Work and Pensions
Statistics and research webpage: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd
Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA)
Information and case studies on economic development and regeneration:
http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk
Valuation Office Agency
VOA homepage: http://www.voa.gov.uk
Regional Observatories
Regional Observatories hold a range of information which may be useful for
planning authorities. Information holdings and structures vary between regions.
They can be accessed via the website of the Association of Regional Observatories:
http://www.regionalobservatories.org.uk
5.32)
32
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Annex D: Town Centre Health Check Indicators
Appendix 5
Annex D: Town Centre Health Check
Indicators
A1
Diversity of main town centre uses (by number, type and amount of floorspace): the
amount of space in use for different functions – such as offices; shopping; leisure,
cultural and entertainment activities; pubs, cafes and restaurants; and, hotels.
A2
The amount of retail, leisure and office floorspace in edge-of-centre and out-ofcentre locations.
A3
The potential capacity for growth or change of centres in the network: opportunities
for centres to expand or consolidate, typically measured in the amount of land
available for new or more intensive forms of town centre development.
A4
Retailer representation and intentions to change representation: existence and
changes in representation of types of retailer, including street markets, and the
demand of retailers wanting to come into the centre, or to change their
representation in the centre, or to reduce or close their representation.
A5
Shopping rents: pattern of movement in Zone A rents within primary shopping areas
(ie. the rental value for the first 6 metres depth of floorspace in retail units from the
shop window).
A6
Proportion of vacant street level property and the length of time properties have
been vacant: vacancies can arise even in the strongest town centres, and this indicator
must be used with care. Vacancies in secondary frontages and changes to other uses
will also be useful indicators.
A7
Commercial yields on non-domestic property (i.e. the capital value in relation to the
expected market rental): demonstrates the confidence of investors in the long-term
profitability of the centre for retail, office and other commercial developments. This
indicator should be used with care.
A8
Land values and the length of time key sites have remained undeveloped: data on
changes in land value and how long key town centre and edge of centre sites have
remained undeveloped provide important indicators for how flexible policies should
be framed and can help inform planning decisions.
A9
Pedestrian flows (footfall): a key indicator of the vitality of shopping streets,
measured by the numbers and movement of people on the streets, in different parts
of the centre at different times of the day and evening, who are available for
businesses to attract into shops, restaurants or other facilities.
A10 Accessibility: ease and convenience of access by a choice of means of travel, including
– the quality, quantity and type of car parking; the frequency and quality of public
transport services and the range of customer origins served; and, the quality of
provision for pedestrians, cyclists and disabled people and the ease of access from
main arrival points to the main attractions.
5.33)
PLANNING POLICY STATEMENT 4 | Annex D: Town Centre Health Check Indicators
A11
Appendix 5
33
Customer and residents’ views and behaviour: regular surveys will help authorities in
monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of town centre improvements and in
setting further priorities. Interviews in the town centre and at home can be used to
establish views of both users and non-users of the centre, including the views of
residents living in or close to the centre. This information could also establish the
degree of linked trips.
A12 Perception of safety and occurrence of crime: should include views and information
on safety and security, including from the threat of terrorism, and where appropriate,
information for monitoring the evening and night-time economy.
A13 State of the town centre environmental quality: should include information on
problems (such as air pollution, noise, clutter, litter and graffiti) and positive factors
(such as trees, landscaping and open spaces).
5.34)